Girl Scouts Centennial Silver Coin Legislation Summarized

Should a newly introduced House bill become law, 350,000 silver $1 coins will be issued in 2011 commemorating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Girl Scouts of the USA.

Rep. Jack Kingston introduced the Girl Scouts commemorative coin legislation last week, but it’s taken a full seven days for details to emerge. Uncharacteristically, the Government Printing Office (GPO) was extremely slow in providing the official legislation text of H.R. 6404.

Instead, legislation directs minting of coins in 2011. Given the name of the act, it’s seemingly strange. However, in 1911, Juliette Gordon Low met Sir Robert Baden-Powell, a war hero and the founder of the Boy Scouts, and began planning an association for girls that would become Girl Scouts of the USA. From that perspective and going forward one hundred years, the date makes more sense.

As is typical with most coin legislation, H.R. 6404 does not layout a specific coin design outside standard commemorative inscriptions (Liberty’, ‘In God We Trust’, ‘United States of America’, and ‘E Pluribus Unum’), weight (26.73 grams) and dimensions (diameter of 1.5 inches).

The coin would be made from 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper, and issued in proof and uncirculated versions with a limit of 350,000.

A surcharge for each coin sold

"the Girl Scouts of the United States of America for efforts involved in marking the Centennial which may include preservation efforts of the birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low."

Girl Scouts commemorative coin has competition

Coin law, unless amended or a specific provision is made, dictates a limit of two commemorative coins per year. There are two additional coin bills targeted for 2011 that have seen congressional action this year:

According to Girl Scouts of the USA site, membership has grown from 18 members in Savannah, Georgia, to 3.7 million members throughout the United States, including U.S. territories, and in more than 90 countries through USA Girl Scouts Overseas.